Steering post bearing



W. K. QESON 9 9 STEERING POST BEARING.

' Filed. Sept. 1.4, 1945 INVENTOR. 7%; 04m A? (Teanaxg army/mm PatentedMay 30,, 1950 STEERING POST BEARING William K. Creson, La Fayette, Ind.,assignor to Ross Gear & Tool Company, La Fayette, Ind., a corporation ofIndiana Application September 14, 1945, Serial No. 616,250

6 Claims. (01. 308-197) My invention relates to a bearing andbearingmounting suitable for use in supporting the upper end of thesteering shaft in the steering post of a vehicle. As normallymanufactured, the steering gear of an automobile embodies a tubularsteering post through which there extends a steering shaft bearing thesteering wheel at its upper end. To free the steering shaft of radialloads, the steering post is usually relatively rigid in character, andthe upper end of the steering shaft is rotatably supported from theupper end of the steering post. The bearing means employed between thesteering shaft and the upper end of the steering post obviously shouldbe of a type which, without imposing any stress on the steering shaft,will locate the upper end of the steering shaft transversely of thesteering post without any undesirable lost motion.

It is the object of my invention to produce a steering-shaft bearingwhich will rotatably support the steering shaft in fixed positiontransversely of the steering post, which willperform its supportingfunction without imposing any stress on the steering shaft, and whichcan be simply and economically manufactured. A further object of myinvention is to produce an improved bearing construction.

In carrying out my invention, I employ inner and outer bearing racesformed with complementary flanges between which one or more bearingelements are received. The outer bearing race is loosely received withinthe steering column, which is provided with an annular series .ofinwardly projecting ribs having axially inclined faces against which theouter bearing race can be forced to locate it transversely of the.steering column. Associated with the inner bearing race and closelysurrounding the steering shaft is a ring held resiliently in contactwith the inner bearing race by yielding means such as a compressionspring surrounding the steering shaft. At least one of the interengagingfaces of the inner race and its associated ring is conical in character,whereby the axial pressure of the ring against the inner race will tendto hold the latter concentric with the shaft. The arrangement of theparts is such that the pressure exerted by the ring on the inner race istransmitted through the bearing elements to the outer race and serves tohold the latter in engagement with the inclined. ribs of the steeringpost.

The accompanying drawing illustrates my in vention:

Fig. 1 is an axial section through the upper end of a steering column;Fig. 2 is a transverse- 2 section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asection similar to Fig. 2 illustrating a preferred modification of theinvention; Fig. 4 is an axial section of a further modification; andFig. 5 is an end elevation of the bearing shown in Fig. 4.

The device illustrated in the drawing comprises a tubular steeringcolumn l0 provided adjacent to its upper end with an annular series ofinwardly projecting ribs ll, preferably three in number, having innerfaces l2 which are inclined inwardly and downwardly of the steeringpost. Conveniently, the ribs H are formed by indenting the wall of thesteering post H], as shown.

A steering shaft [4 passes axially through the steering post In and intothe hub I5 of a steering wheel to which the shaft is rigidly secured.The upper end of the shaft I4 is supported from the steering post I 0through the medium of inner and outer bearing races I1 and [8, betweenwhich bearing elements 19 are disposed, such bearing elements beingshown as balls in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1 and2. The ballengaging surfaces of the races l1 and I8 are so shaped thattangents at their points of contact with the balls are inclined to theaxis of the shaft 14 whereby the bearing is adapted to transmit bothradial and axial loads.

The outer race [8 includes a cylindrical flange 20 the exterior diameterof which is somewhat smaller than the interior diameter of the steeringpost in. The inner race I! has an internal diameter somewhat greaterthan the diameter of the steering shaft l4. Beyond the inner race ll,the flange 20 of the outer race is provided with an annular series ofinwardly projecting indentations 22 which co-operate with a collapsiblesplit spring ring 23 to hold the races in assembled condition.

Associated with the inner bearing race I! I provide a thrust member 26which, in the form shown, comprises a flat sheet-metal collar providedwith a series of angularly spaced centering fingers 26', preferablythree in number. The fingers 25 are wedge-like in axial section, as willbe evident from Fig. 1, being thicker at their points of juncture withthe collar-body 26 than at their free ends. A compression spring 21acting between the hub I 5 and the collar forces the tapering fingers 26into the annular space between the shaft l4 and the inner race 11, thuslocating the inner race in co-axial position with reference to theshaft. In order that rigidity of the collar 26 may not interfere withthe desired centering action of the fingers 26', the circumferentialcontinuity of such collar is interrupted by a radial slot 28 which willpermit deformation of the collar body to an extent necessary to insurethat each centering finger 26' will bear against both the shaft M andthe inner race I1.

The taper of the fingers 26' is great enough to prevent them frombecoming self-locked between the shaft 14 and race H, with the resultthat the axial pressure exerted on the collar 25 by the spring 2] istransmitted through the race IT and bearing elements 19 to the outerrace It and serves to hold the latter in contact with the inclined facesl2 of the ribs H, thus locating the bearing assembly in definiteposition transversely of the steering post.

The construction described lends itself toeconomical manufacture, as theraces i1 and Hi canbe formed as sheet-material stampings. The ribs llact to center the outer race l8 irrespective of variations in thediameter of the outer race.

Similarly, the ring 26 acts to center the inner race IT with respect tothe shaft I4 irrespective of variations in the inner diameter of the.inner race. The ring 26 may be made to fit the shaft M snugly withoutthe necessity for maintaining: close manufacturing tolerances, byleaving the ends of the ring unjoined and by forming it so that itsinner diameter will be slightly less than the diameter of the shaft 14.

In the modified. form of the invention illustrated' in Fig. 3, asegmental ring 30 of *circular cross section is substituted for theballs 19 shown in Figs. 1 and 2. I have found that in some in-' stances.operation of thesteering gear as a whole can. be improved. by slightlyincreasing the resistance offered to rotation of the steering shaft i4;If the ring. 30 is made of some suitable bearing material, such' asbronze-or brass, the desired:- result will be achieved without undueweary and any wear which does occur will be takenup as: aresult'oftheaction ofthespring.

In the modified bearing construction shownin'v Figs. 4 and theretaining'ring 23 is held. in place by ears 3'2 turned inwardly from theperiphery of the. flange on. the outer'race [8; If

necessary to permit. insertion of the inner race into the outerrace,.th-e former maybe provided in: its periphery with notches 33which; can be aligned with the ears 32 when assemblyis effected.

I- claim asmy invention:

1 In a steering column,.a:tubular'steering post, a steering." shaftextending: through said post" and: provided with asteering wheel, abearing. comprising inner and: outer races surrounding said shaft, theouter diameter" of said bearing being .7

less thanthe inner diameter of said steering'post, said steering post:being provided with :ansannu'lar. series of inwardly projecting ribshavinginner bearing-engaging faces inclined inwardly of the steeringpost and away from said steering wheel,

and. yielding means for urging said outer race:

addition that said ribs are inwardly offset portions of the wall of thetubular steering post.

4. The invention set forth in claim 1 with the 'add'itionthat theinternal diameter of said inner race is greater than the diameter of theshaft, to provide an annular space between the race and shaft, a thrustcollar surrounding said shaft,

- centering means on said thrust collar engaging said shaft and innerrace to locate them coaxially,.saidyieldingi means comprising a springacting on-said collar to force said centeringimeans into.- engagementwithasaid inner race.

5". Inasteering column, a tubularsteeringpost,

a steering shaft extendingthroughisaid post and:

provided: with a steering wheel, a bearing comprising inner and outerraces surrounding said shaft, said inner race having an internaldiameter greater than that of said shaft-to provide an-annularspacebetween the shaft and race, a thrust collar surrounding the shaftand provided with. angnlarly spaced, tapered fingers extending intosaidannular'spac, the intervals between said fingers being greater thanthe width of the fin-- gers, and-i yielding means urging said collaraxially to force-each of said tapered fingers into engagement with saidshaft and inneri race.

6. In a steering column, a tubular steering; post, a: steering shaft.extending: through said post and provided with a steering, whee1,:abearing comprising inner and outer races surrounding said:

shaft; and. an annular series of .circumferentially elongated bearingelements disposed between-said inner and outer'races: for transmittingradial and axial loads therebetween.

WILLIAM K. CRESON.

REFERENCES CITED The: following: references are of record. in the fileof this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 886,950 Cornforth May 5, 19081,643,977 Buckwalter .Oct. 4, 1927 1,776,412 Bresien Sept..23, 19391,895,499 Stough Jan. 31, 1933 1,998,735 Rasmussen Apr. 23, 19352,018,027 Marks Oct. 22, 1935 2,232,473 Pulleyblank Feb. 18, 1941

